They would pay particular attention to ATMs on buildings that were used as homes, she said.

Not all of the bank's 2,000 ATMs will be guarded, with some getting increased patrols instead.

Rabobank has closed more than 30 ATMs, in part because of the damage potential attacks could cause the buildings they are in. It has also already taken the measure of closing some ATMs between 1am and 6am.

Another Dutch bank, ING, was said to be considering additional security measures against such attacks. Last year it closed 100 ATMs.

Last month, a Rabobank spokesman told media that most criminals went home empty-handed, sometimes because the explosions they caused destroyed the money they were trying to steal. But the damage to buildings could run to millions of euros, he said.

Last month a gang of ATM robbers was convicted in England after a spate of robberies by explosion. Prosecutor Maria Corr said the men "thought nothing of using powerful explosives to blow up cash machines in residential areas, putting nearby residents in real danger".